One popular way of preparing meats and other foods is to apply heat and smoke to the food for a continuous period. This process, referred to as “smoking”, utilizes low heat to cook the food while the smoke imparts a desirable flavor. Food is typically smoked in a dedicated smoker device. However, these devices can be prohibitively expensive and difficult to assemble and use.
While few individuals have a dedicated smoker, many individuals utilize a gas grill to prepare foods. Some individuals attempt to impart a smoky flavor to the food by placing an open container of a smoke source such as wood chips onto the cooking surface of the grill. While this can impart the food with a smoky taste, the container takes up valuable space on the grill's cooking surface. Further, the heat imparted to the wood chips can reduce the heat provided to the food, slowing or impairing the cooking process. In light of the above concerns, there is need in the art for a smoker attachment for a gas grill that attaches to the exterior of a gas grill and directs smoke into the interior cooking area of the grill, imparting a smoky flavor to foods prepared therein.
Devices have been disclosed in the known art that relate to smoker attachments. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications. However, the devices in the known art have several drawbacks. These devices are typically secured within the interior of the gas grill cooking area, which takes up cooking space. Additionally, these devices tend to be costly because they include complicated construction including various baffles and channels to direct the smoke.
In light of the devices disclosed in the known art, it is submitted that the present invention substantially diverges in design elements from the known art and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing smoker attachment devices. In this regard the present invention substantially fulfills these needs.